CDC May Recommend All Citizens Cover Their Faces In Public

Per WIVB and the Associated Press, the Trump administration is currently finalizing a new set of guidelines that would recommend that many if not most Americans should wear a face covering when they are in public.

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While the guidelines are not yet finalized, the formal recommendation will likely apply to individuals who are in areas with high transmission rates, although it will be suggested that all Americans should practice this to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

This new guideline comes on the heels of recent information that indicates the infection is being spread by those with no symptoms at all. In simple terms, anyone is a potential carrier of the virus, even if they are not sick.

Scientists can’t rule out that infected people sometimes exhale COVID-19 virus particles, rather than just when coughing or sneezing, but there isn’t enough evidence to show if that can cause infection, according to a committee convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to advise the White House.

To be clear, this is NOT a suggestion that everyone should wear medical masks—those should be saved for those dealing directly with sick people, and in some cases the elderly and children under the age of 2. Face coverings can be created from t-shirts, scarves, bandanas, or any other material that covers the mouth and nose.